16 Amazingly Thrifty Ways To Decorate Your Child’s Nursery


by Stephanie Spencer |
Updated on

Decorating your baby’s room doesn’t need to cost a fortune. There are plenty of ways you can create your dream nursery on a budget – all it requires is a little creativity and some upcycling inspiration. With just a little love, you can reuse and repurpose old items and give them a new lease of life in your tot’s room. And don’t worry if you’re not feeling full of ideas – we’ve got plenty of inspiration for you.

READ: WELCOME TO THE MULTI-TASKING NURSERY

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Best ways to decorate your nursery

Spice rack as a shelf1 of 16
CREDIT: Pinterest via mommo-design.blogspot.it

Spice rack as a shelf

Give that dusty spice rack a facelift with a lick of paint. Fix it on your nursery wall and use it to display your baby’s objects.

shelves as a clothes rail2 of 16
CREDIT: Pinterest via claudiazinzan.com

Shelf as a clothes rail

Baby clothes are just too cute to hide away. Keep them out on display by hanging them from a shelf. Instant showroom glam.

Lots of toys in garden baskets on walls3 of 16
CREDIT: Pinterest via mydesignhearth.com

Garden baskets for storage

If you’ve given up with trying to get plants to grow in wall baskets in the garden, clean them up and bring them inside for clever storage for your tot’s soft toys and books.

setup of a cot turned into a desk 4 of 16
CREDIT: Pinterest via pinner

Cot turned into a desk

Toddler outgrown her cot? Brandish your DIY skills and take off the side and raise the base to transform it into an art and craft desk for your little one’s room.

toddler opening storage bin5 of 16
CREDIT: Pinterest via curbly.com

Tires as storage bin

Clean and disinfect some tires, paint them up, put a bin lid on top and ta-da! You have yourself one very cool storage bin for your small person’s worldly goods.

Toddler reaching for books on shelves6 of 16
CREDIT: Pinterest via mommo-design.blogspot.it

Plate racks as bookshelves

If you come across a bargain plate rack at a car boot sale or find an old one in the loft, paint it up and fix it to your tot’s wall (at a child-friendly height). It’s great for displaying books and you can even attach hooks on the base to hang his coats and bag from.

Cot as a day bed7 of 16
CREDIT: Pinterest via pinner

Cot as a day bed

This is another genius idea for an unused cot. Simply chop off one long side, sand and repaint. Voila! You’ll have yourself a child-sized daybed.

Ladder as a clothes rail with clothes hanging on8 of 16
CREDIT: Pinterest via pinner

Ladder as a clothes rail

We love this rustic repurposed idea for hanging clothes. And as long as the ladder’s wooden, you can paint it any colour you like to co-ordinate with the room’s décor.

Pillowcase as a toy bag9 of 16
CREDIT: Pinterest via babydeco.co.uk

Pillowcase as a toy bag

Make yourself a pillowcase from fabric of your choosing or simply give an old one a new purpose with this hanging toy bag idea. Hang it out of reach of your little one so there’s no risk of suffocation

Crayon wall art making the shape 'p'10 of 16
CREDIT: Pinterest via pinner

Crayon wall art

This is one seriously fun wall art idea. And all it takes is a pack of crayons. The perfect project for you and your tot to do together.

Pegboard for storage11 of 16
CREDIT: Pinterest via buzzfeed.com

Pegboard for storage

Lacking in space? A pegboard could be the answers to your storage stresses. Fix it above the changing table and use it to hang baskets filled with baby wipes, nappies and all of your other baby necessities.

Crates as shelving units12 of 16
CREDIT: Pinterest via pinner

Crates as shelving units

There are quite literally dozens of things you can do with wooden fruit or wine crates. And they look amazing. We love the idea of using them as shelving units and you don’t even have to drill in the wall, you can simply stack them on the floor. It might be worth sanding them down first to avoid getting a splinter.

Tent as a reading haven13 of 16
CREDIT: Pinterest via lilblueboo.com

Tent as a reading haven

Tents don’t have to only make an appearance in the good weather – you can bring yours indoors and use it as a reading nook for your toddler. And they make perfect readymade dens for sleepovers, too.

Chalkboards as wall art14 of 16
CREDIT: Pinterest via marieclairemaison.com

Chalkboards as wall art

Chalkboards are great way to spruce up your tot’s room – and mean she can get all artistic whenever the mood takes her. Just remember to hang them at a toddler-friendly height!

Suitcase as a toy box15 of 16
CREDIT: Pinterest via racheldenbow.blogspot.com

Suitcase as a toy box

While old fashioned carry suitcases aren’t very practical for holidays, they make great storage areas. Attach some small wheels or short table legs to the bottom and use it as a toy box or to store your little one’s clothes.

Ladder as a bookshelf16 of 16
CREDIT: Pinterest via craftideas.bitchinrants.com

Ladder as a bookshelf

If you’re renting and can’t drill into the wall to put shelves or just don’t want to, a ladder is a genius way to store your books. Position planks of wood across the rungs and fill it up!

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